Health Disparity for Unmarried Same-Sex Couples

A new national study discovers that same-sex couples report worse health than people of the same socioeconomic status who are in heterosexual marriages.

Hui Liu, Michigan State University sociologist and lead investigator on the study believes one reason may be certain state limitations prohibiting same sex partners from marrying.

Research over the past several decades has shown that married people are healthier than the unmarried.

While Liu’s research does not directly assess the potential health consequences of legalizing same-sex marriage, she said it’s plausible that allowing same-sex couples to legally wed could improve their health.

“Legalizing same-sex marriage,” Liu said, “could provide the benefits associated with marriage — such as partner health-insurance benefits and increased social and psychological support — which may directly and indirectly influence the health of people in same-sex unions.”

In the study, Liu and colleagues analyzed the self-reported health of nearly 700,000 participants in the 1997-2009 National Health Interview Surveys. About 3,330 men and women are identified as same-sex cohabiters in the study.

Same-sex cohabiters reported poorer health than heterosexual married couples of similar socioeconomic status including education, income and insurance coverage.

Liu said the health disparity may be due to a lack of social, psychological and institutional resources that come with legal marriage.

Additional factors may include high levels of stress caused by homophobia and discrimination for gay couples that live together.

Researchers also examined differences among racial groups, finding that both white and black lesbian cohabiting women had poorer health than their heterosexual married counterparts.

However, while black lesbian women who lived together reported poorer health than other unmarried black women, lesbian white women who cohabitated reported similar or even better health than other unmarried white women.

Liu said white women in same-sex relationships are more likely than their black and Hispanic counterparts to have both partners in full-time employment and adhere to general ideals of equality.

These factors that may boost health status while racial minority women in same-sex relationships may experience more stigma, discrimination and economic disadvantages that in turn undermine health.

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Rick Nauert PhD

Dr. Rick Nauert has over 25 years experience in clinical, administrative and academic healthcare. He is currently an associate professor for Rocky Mountain University of Health Professionals doctoral program in health promotion and wellness. Dr. Nauert began his career as a clinical physical therapist and served as a regional manager for a publicly traded multidisciplinary rehabilitation agency for 12 years. He has masters degrees in health-fitness management and healthcare administration and a doctoral degree from The University of Texas at Austin focused on health care informatics, health administration, health education and health policy. His research efforts included the area of telehealth with a specialty in disease management.